Split
by RedPerception
Summary: Crowley and Aziraphale have been experiencing some time loss after the events of the almost Armageddon. After a whole day has gone by without either one remembering a thing, they turn to their friends in Tadfield for some help. They may just come out stronger than before. - Some info comes from the book most the story is mostly based off the TV show.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Good Omens fic, and I owe a great deal of thanks to Cuckoo Clover for allowing me to continue with an idea she presented earlier on the sight. If you haven't read it, it makes a marvelous preface to the story you are about to read. Full disclosure it takes me a chapter or two to get in a rhythm with the characters so give it a chance. I will post as often as I can leave a comment down below I love to hear from you all. Of course I own nothing. **

Neither of them had talked about it, but it was happening more and more often since they had stopped the apocalypse. Five times this month, they were waking up from number six. Aziraphale was face down at his desk and Crowley miles away in his bed.

Aziraphale woke first, he looked around, he didn't remember falling asleep here. He didn't remember falling asleep at all. In fact the last thing he remembered was dinner with Crowley. They'd been meeting at least twice a week since the world didn't end and they were on the outs with their respective head offices. Safer in numbers is how they justified it, and it's not like they had to hide their friendship anymore.

At first they brushed off the time loss to excessive alcohol, but deep down neither of them believed it.

Aziraphale went for the paper on the doorstep of his shop, last time it had been a couple hours, but this felt different, longer. For one it was daylight, and the last thing Aziraphale remembered was dinner. Sunday? How could it be Sunday? They had met for dinner on Friday. This was getting ridiculous he went for his phone.

"You've reached Anthony Crowley. You know what to do. Do it with style."

"Crowley I know you're there. It was a day this time, a whole day! Please tell me you remember something because I don't and I don't like the idea that someone is playing games with us. Do you think they know what we did…."

"What do you mean it's been a whole day?" Crowley picked up the receiver, interrupting his friend.

"It's Sunday Crowley. We went to dinner Friday. Do you remember anything about yesterday?" Aziraphale was frantic. "We appear to have skipped Saturday."

"You can't just skip a day angel." Crowley reasoned.

"Well we have unless you can tell me what we did yesterday."

"I don't know about you but I...I...I'll be right over!" Crowley slammed down the receiver, and made it across London in half the time it would have taken anyone else. "What did I do yesterday?" The door locked and the blinds closed as the demon strolled in. "What did you do to me?"

"Me?! I didn't do anything! I'm the good one." Aziraphale jumped up from his desk. "What did you do?"

"Me?!"" Crowley casually dropped himself onto his friends couch.

"So it wasn't you and it wasn't me?" Aziraphale sat back down. "You don't suppose it was…"

"Naaah… I mean...this soon...they wouldn't...they couldn't know...how would they." Crowley was back on his feet and pacing.

"I don't suppose you have anyone down there you could ask." Aziraphale tried, Crowley just lowered his sunglasses. "Me either." he sighed, "Do you think they are afraid of us?"

"That's a funny thought isn't it someone being afraid of you." Crowley couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes I suppose it is." Aziraphale accepted, with a pout.

"Don't take it the wrong way Angel, it's my job to be scary, I'm a demon. What kind of world would we live in if people went around being afraid of angels." Crowley consoled, "Of course after my performance in the fire pit upstairs perhaps they may think twice about you."

"Well they certainly won't be trying holy water on you anytime soon." Aziraphale was still quite proud of his charade two months ago.

"Which is nice and all but it doesn't explain what's happening to us now." Crowley conceded.

"I suppose there are a couple people we could ask." Aziraphale suggested.

"Oh noooooo...you don't mean." Crowley frowned, "I had hoped to be done with Tadfield."

"Well do you have a better idea?"

"What good would a descendent and the former antichrist do us?" Crowley still wasn't so sure.

"You said it yourself he will probably have some powers all his life and she is more than just a descendent. I don't know about you but I would prefer not to keep losing track of time."

"Tadfield it is then." Crowley started for the door. "I'm driving." As if it were even a question.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to those you made it to chapter two, I promise it will start to get more interesting, stay the course. Of course I own nothing. **

As usual Queen blared from the radio as they sped out of London.

"Do you think someone is possessing us as some sort of revenge." Aziraphale spoke up after a bit.

"You can't possess a demon, we're the ones that do the possessing." Crowley shook his head.

"Perhaps this isn't either of our sides."

"You think they're working together?" Crowley thought on it, "They showed that they could with the holy water and hell fire."

"I was thinking something more...human." Aziraphale informed.

"Humans!" Crowley laughed, "And how would the humans do it then?"

"Well I really don't know do I, but I don't like it, I don't like any of it. In my 6000 years I have never lost a day of time ever. And all you're doing is shooting down my ideas."

"I'm sorry Angel, I don't like it anymore than you do, but the humans did it seems the most outlandish theory yet. For my money I'd say they teamed up. They've done it before."

"Have they?" Aziraphale tried to remember.

"I don't really know but I have this feeling that the last time you and I came out on the losing team." Crowley was thinking again, "I just don't remember when or how."

"I think I know exactly what you mean." Aziraphale was nodding along with his friend. "So who to first?"

"The descendent." Crowley glanced at his best friend, sometimes he wondered how someone so smart could be so naive how did the brain of an angel work. "We can hardly go knocking on an eleven year olds door, 'Hello is the former antichrist home, we're two biblical beings that helped him thwart the apocalypse and we were wondering if he might be of assistance with a little time loss problem we're having.'"

"I guess his parents might question us yes." Aziraphale nodded, "But you could…"

"Put them under." Crowley finished, "Does that really sound like a good way to convince the kid to help us?"

"He likes us." Aziraphale tried.

"Oh he does does he? How do you know this? Have you been out to check on him at all since Armageddon? Cause I haven't. As far as he's concerned we're the two blokes with wings that showed up when he and his friends were stopping the end of the world."

"I did send him a thank you card."

"A thank you card?!" Crowley smirked, "I would have loved to have read that. What'd it say? 'Thank you for telling off Satan and sending the four horsemen away. We wouldn't be here without you."

"Something like that."Frankly Aziraphale couldn't see what was so humorous. They sat in silence for a little while longer, "What are we going to say to Ms. Device?"

"Who?"

"Anathema Device." Aziraphale repeated, "The descendent."

"Oh Book Girl." Crowley nodded, "I don't know what about, 'hey did your book say anything about the two of us losing time?'"

"I read the book cover to cover Crowley I think I would have remembered something like that." Aziraphale pointed out, "But perhaps I missed something."

"This was your idea. You could come up with something to say to her." Crowley suggested.

"Yes it was my idea, we need to do something don't we? We can't just keep losing time, it's getting worse."

"Yes. Yes I know a whole day." Crowley's eyes rolled behind his sunglasses, "However, I'm still unsure as to how Book Girl and the Former AntiChrist can help us."

"As you said, we are on our own sides now, we have no one else to turn to. Perhaps if I had not let you tempt me…" The angel was cut off.

"OOOOOO so this is my fault now is it?" Crowley was staring at the angel as the car sped down the road.

"I didn't…"

"As I recall dinner and drinks, that's hardly a serious temptation. That's more like a date. You didn't was a war anymore than I did."

"Would you look where you are driving just once!" Aziraphale shouted over the raging of the demon. "Stop the car! Just stop!"

"What now?!" Crowley slammed on the brakes.

"We're there." Aziraphale pointed to the cottage. "Did we really go on a date?"

"No it was not a date. I was making a point." Crowley smirked, "You're not really my type." He added just to make sure there wasn't any confusion.

"That's good, that's very good. An interspecies relationship well one best not think on it. Besides angels don't date." Aziraphale recovered.

Both angel and demon jumped at the knock on the car window.

"Are you coming in?" There stood Adam Young, former, Adversary Destroyer of Kings, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Great Beast that is called Dragon, Prince of this World, Father of Lies, Spawn of Satan and Lord of Darkness. Though now a days he was just simply Adam. "Anathema called and said you were coming, she thought you might want my help."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to anyone who has stuck with the story so far, I have at least eight chapters written in a notebook so let me know if you're still interested. The fun bit is just around the corner, at least I think so. Of course I own nothing. **

"How did Anathema know we were coming?" Crowley asked the boy.

"She's a witch." Adam shrugged, "I figured you knew that being and angel and a demon and all. She's wicked cool."

"And what are you these days?" Crowley dared to ask.

"Just Adam." The boy shrugged again, "I can still do some neat stuff but nothing like what I did on the not end of the world day."

"That's absolutely fabulous news." Aziraphale beamed. "Oh did you get my card?"

"Yea, it really confused my parents. They couldn't figure out what anyone would want to thank me for." Adam held the cottage door open for them while Dog came bounding to his feet.

"Yes, I suppose I forgot that you would have parents." Aziraphale frowned, "I didn't get the pleasure of meeting them last time I was here."

"You're not missing much, they're just normal parents, most everybodies got them. Don't angels and demons have parents?"

"Not in the human sense of the word no." Aziraphale tried.

"Not in any sense of the word." Crowley just shook his head, "Unless you count God."

"You're late." Anathema looked up from the table. "Your tea's gone cold."

"Don't mind her, she takes her prophecies very seriously. I don't remember if we've met. Newton Pulsifer." The former Witchfinder Private extended his hand.

"A pleasure, truly. I'm Aziraphale, this is my good friend Crowley." The angel returned the handshake while the demon simply nodded. Newt was a little off put by the second man's decision to wear sunglasses inside but he figured he had his reasons.

"You were expecting us." Crowley took the now hot tea and handed one off to his friend.

"I was." Anathema was still a little bitter about the condition her book had been returned to her in.

"She woke up this morning and told me we'd be having visitors from another plain who need out help." Newt chimed in, "I thought she meant aliens or something and asked what we were supposed to serve them."

"Not aliens I'm afraid, and the tea is lovely, not cold at all." Aziraphale assured, much to the confusion of Newt who had made the tea himself some twenty minutes earlier and didn't understand how it could be anything but cold. After all he unlike the rest of the room could only remember the less extraordinary aspects of the day the world didn't end. Anathema had tried to explain some of it to him but he wasn't sure if she was being serious or not. The idea of Aliens, Tibetians, the Four Horsemen, the Antichrist, Angels, Demons, Satan, it all seemed a little far fetched. He figured sure some of it might be true, but all of it in one day.

"I don't suppose this prophecy of yours told you why we needed your help did it?" Crowley figured the sooner he asked the question the sooner they could leave Tadfield in the dust once and for all.

"All I knew was two beings from places beyond, who had made earth their home were coming and need advice from the three of us." Anathema explained, "It was Adam that figured out it would be you two. I hadn't realized what you really were in our last two encounters. I just figured you were a couple dragged into everything by the witchfinders like Newt. Though it does make everything the night you hit me with your car make sense."

"You hit me." Crowley argued, "I've had that Bentley since brand new and I really despise having to take dents out of it."

"Ahhh yes, sorry about the bicycle, that must have been rather confusing. I got a bit carried away." Aziraphale hoped to avoid an argument.

"Lord heal thy bicycle." Crowley chanted sarcastically.

"Still better than a broken wrist." The angel chose to ignore his friend.

"So why are you here?" Adam, who had been waiting patiently up until now finally spoke up. He could be out playing with the Them, he would have to go back to school tomorrow he didn't want to waste the last of his weekend.

"We seem to be having a small problem with lost time." Aziraphale informed, "Started out as a few hours however we recently lost an entire day."

"I mean...I seemed to forget the better part of…" Newt didn't get a chance to finish

"Unless Adam has something he'd like to share, your memory loss is very different from our lost time." Crowley looked to the boy who had the social awareness to avoid the gaze of the adults looking at him.

"Though he should not be faulted for his actions, it was in the humans best interest to forget the more exciting adventures of that day." Aziraphale came to the boys aid.

"Humans?" Newt frowned, "What does that mean, aren't we all humans."

"Oh dear, we had just assumed that you knew. Your two colleagues, well yes I suppose they would know to some extent. Well you see I am an angel sent to do God's will on earth, or I was until I disobeyed my superiors and worked to stop the Great War. My friend…" Crowly gave a little mock wave, "is a demon sent to do the Devil's work on earth, or he was until he disobeyed his superiors and worked to stop the Great War. Now frankly neither of us really know where we stand or what to do for that matter." Aziraphale dithered on much to the demons dismay.

"Regardless, we're here about lost time aren't we Angel not our life choices." Crowley stepped in.

"Life choices?" Newt questioned, and Crowley briefly considered forms of punishment for the man, was that what he got from all that. Humans, and their ridiculous dependence on categorizing relationships.

"Oh for Satan's sake, we're friends. Two opposite sides of a coin. Demons tempt others into relationships we don't get involved in them ourselves. And can you imagine an angel on a date, they can't even dance."

"Wait did you say demon, did he say demon." Newt started to catch up.

"Is that a problem?" Crowley lowered his sunglasses just enough.

"And an angel." Aziraphale shot his friend a disapproving look, "He's really rather nice for a demon."

"And you can be a right bastard of an angel." Crowley spat back.

"Now that's not really necessary." Aziraphale frowned, but if he was being honest with himself he quite liked the idea of being a bit of a bastard. He felt it bonded him with his friend, and with the humans he spent his days with. As for Crowley, he was still a long way from considering himself nice. He may not be evil, but he was not nice, demons weren't nice. "We really would appreciate some advice with this time loss." the Angel was beginning to sense his friends patients waning.

"What are we supposed to do?" Adam asked, ready to get to work.

"Is it really smart to be helping a demon couldn't we get sent to Hell for that?" Newt was thinking back to his old mentor Sgt. Shadwell. Should Newt be preparing an exorcism, without realizing it he had started scanning the room for a bell, a book, and a candle.

"Frankly I wouldn't worry to much about helping a demon if I were you." Crowley smirked, "I'm a little on the outs with the guys down below, stopping Armageddon and all, their big chance to rise and what not. Helping Angel here is more likely to get you sent there these days.."


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all for sticking with me two chapter 4, this is where the fun begins, at least I think so. I own nothing. **

That's when it happened, Crowley had put his hand on the angels shoulder, his finger just barely grazing his friends neck as his hand came down.

The room went bright white, like someone had just shown a spot light on the celestial beings in the room, causing all three humans to cover their eyes.

The light was followed by a loud vrumph of two things becoming one.

"What did you do?" Aziraphale frowned looking for his friend, something seemed wrong, he felt taller somehow.

"Me I didn't do anything, what did you do?" Crowley snapped looking to where his friend should have been but wasn't, "Where did you go?"

If you were to ask the humans in the room what they saw, after giving them some time to process, you would have gotten… where two men or men shaped beings had stood now stood a tall, skinny, white/blond haired, heavenly blue eyed man. Who spoke using two different voices. Adam really wanted to say this was a case of Deja Vu but something felt different this time.

"Where did I go? I didn't move. Where did you go?" Aziraphale's voice came out of the body.

"Well I certainly didn't…" Crowley's voice was interrupted by Anathema.

"Ummm… maybe this might help." She handed over a mirror she had retrieved from her bedroom. The humans stood in awe as they watched the being make various faces in the mirror.

"You are skinny, properly skinny too, it's a miracle you don't get blown away when the wind blows." Aziraphale looked down examining his physical appearance. This wasn't like when they switched places, this was something different, this was much more natural.

"Oh for Heaven's Sake Angel look at my hair!" Crowley ran their hands through the white/blond spikes, "I can't believe I just said that! I haven't had hair this ridiculous since… well let's just say style came with my saunter downward." He took their hands away from the hair and studied them. They were his hands no doubt, but they were soft and effortlessly manicured. These were hands that had never spent time in sulfur mines.

"I thought you liked my hair?" The face in front of them frowned.

"On you sure that's fine but… but what happened to my eyes?! My eyes are NOT heavenly!" Crowley growled, "You Adam Young fix this, separate us."

"I can't." Adam shrugged.

"Whatever do you mean you can't?" Aziraphale made an effort to take over he could sense Crowley's anger rising even within himself. Which since they were sharing a body should not have been surprising in the least. "You were quite helpful in separating Madam Tracey and Myself not two months ago."

"You were two people then." Adam returned.

"We're two people now." Spat Crowley.

"I feel my friend is right. I worry an angel and a demon should not share a body for long. I can only imagine the consequences." Aziraphale tried to reason, he didn't like the feeling of anger rising in him. He knew it belonged to his friend but it was making it very hard for him to remain rational.

"That's just it, I only see one person." Adam explained, "Last time I saw two people in one body. I don't see two people now."

"Well then you don't seem to have the power you thought you did boy!" Crowley glared at the child, doing his best to be intimidating despite his quite angelic appearance.

"No, he's right." Anathema cut in. "You only have one aura. When you came in you were two people with two aura's but now I only see one person with one aura."

"Well that's ridiculous!"

"I think what Crowley is trying to say is how can we be one person with two different minds and voices?" Aziraphale felt quite proud of himself for remaining so calm despite the fact that he was in a completely new body with his very angry friend. He had only his hair, eyes, and angelic softness left… and that's when he realized. His angelic identity was there, but while he could still sense Crowley, there was a significant, and by significant he meant complete absence of anything demonic. It wasn't rage Crowley was feeling it was undeniably fear, fear at the loss of ones identity. Crowley may have still had the dominant physical features, but there was nothing demonic about them.

"If I may." Newt finally got up the courage to speak, though he still had no idea what was going on. A thought had occurred to him, "Is it possible that maybe you are two sides of one coin, like you said earlier. I don't know much about angels and demons, I did try to go to church for a month, but couldn't get into it, I had to many questions. Kind of regretting it now, being involved and everything."

"Get on with it." Crowley snapped.

"Soo angels and demons are opposites what if two opposites make a whole." Newt tried.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that." Aziraphale interceded before Crowley could. "It's a nice try though."

"Nice try? Like angels and demons go around looking for their celestial soulmate from the other side." Crowley laughed.

"Angels and demons are of the same stock, we aren't meant to co-exist not since the rebellion." Aziraphale offered as an explanation, though the humans were still mainly focused on the two voices and one body.

"Did you fight?" Adam asked, "The first time I mean."

"Everyone did." Aziraphale tried to remember the events of so long ago.

"I didn't." Crowley shrugged, perhaps even harder to process than the changing voices, was the way the posture changed every time the speaker did.

"What do you mean?" Aziraphale frowned, and the posture straightened, "You didn't fight?"

"Nah... " The posture changed to a casual slouch, "You know me, I'm not the fighting kind, I use charm and wit not swords. I just hung out with the wrong people, asked questions, nothing specifically evil. When people started fighting I took a short holiday to the stars."

"I don't actually remember fighting either." The posture straightened, "How peculiar."


	5. Chapter 5

**So this is a short chapter, the next one will be pretty short to so I'll try to post it later tonight as an apology for how short they are. I hope you enjoy, please review I love to hear from you, of course I own nothing. **

That's when lightning flashed straight through the living room ceiling and where there should have been scorch marks two figures began to form.

"Oh here we go." Crowley moaned, "Just what we need more angels."

The Archangel's Gabriel and Michael were now standing in front of the rather odd group of people in the cottage.

"It's true. I'm so sorry Gabriel, you told me and I didn't believe you. I suppose I didn't really want to believe you." Michael stared at the being that used to be an angel and a demon.

"Now can I hit him?" Gabriel was doing his best to avoid looking at Crowley/Aziraphale while Micheal just stared.

"Excuse me hit who exactly?" Aziraphale frowned staring at the cricket bat in the Archangels hand.

"So this is you guys doing." Crowley accused, "I told you, haven't I always said angels are far crueler than any demon."

"I can not assist you with this. I'll send Uriel or Sandolpon in my place." Michael disappeared.

"What's with her?" Crowley frowned.

"I don't suppose you're here to assist us with our current predicament." Aziraphale was hopeful.

"In a manner of speaking." Gabriel raised the cricket bat.

"You can't just go around hitting people with bats." Adam stepped forward, "That's not right."

"Step aside Antichrist." Gabriel instructed, "You'll get your turn in a minute."

"Former AntiChrist." Anathema stepped up next to the boy.

"And you can't hurt him he's just a kid." Newt stepped up on his other side.

"Fine, I'll take care of the humans first." Gabriel resigned, "Don't worry you won't remember a thing." He raised his bat to strike Newt first.

"Don't you dare!" It was a new voice, neither Crowley nor Aziraphale's, and yet somehow both Crowley and Aziraphale's.

What had once been two separate beings was now completely and totally one, and was standing in front of the humans with majestic white wings hiding them from Gabriel and a flaming sword in hand.

"Well this just got slightly more complicated." Gabriel lowered the cricket bat, but only slightly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Like I promised here is chapter 6, it is just as short if not shorter than chapter 5. I'm sorry about that. Chapter 7 will probably be pretty short to, but I promise they will start to get longer again after that, I don't want you to feel like you're wasting your time. Please review I love to hear what you think. Of course I own nothing. **

"It's been a long time Gabriel."

"Raphael." Gabriel nodded, "Since when do you carry a sword, didn't you have a staff?"

"I suppose being split in two by your family makes one a bit paranoid." Raphael, formally Crowley and Aziraphale returned.

"We had to do it." Gabriel reasoned, "Sides needed to be chosen."

"So that's it is it, I didn't fight. Therefore I was to be made an example of." Raphael accused, "By my family no less. I'm impressed that you can stand there threatening me with that infernal bat, this is your doing after all."

"It worked before." Gabriel lowered the bat, "But you hadn't...hadn't fully merged before."

"You didn't have to actually face me, you could brush it off as the failure of a demon and the mistake of an angel." Rapael stated, "Not that either is purely true, even cut in half I was twice the angel you'll ever be as a demon."

"I have to do this Raphael." Gabriel went to raise the amnesia but again. "It's for your own good."

"If that's how you feel you'll have a fight on your hands." The newly remerged Archangel raised the sword ready to fight.

"You'll fight me?" Gabriel laughed, "You couldn't fight in the first war, and split in two neither of you had the balls for war, but you'll fight your own brother now."

"Well it would hardly be called a fight Gabriel, I did train you. I taught you everything you know about combat, and I picked up a few tricks from my time in Hell. Thank you very much." Raphael reminded, "You can do what you want to me, but you will NOT hurt these humans."

"Gabriel went to swing his amnesia bat, looked at his older brother and the flaming sword and thought better of it. "This isn't over," and Gabriel was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for another short chapter, I promise they will start getting longer again very shortly. Please review, let me know what you think. Of course I own nothing. **

"Is anyone going to explain what just happened?" Newt looked at the spot in the living room where one Archangel once stood to the spot where one long absent Archangel was still standing.

"I suppose this does seem rather peculiar." Raphael was smart enough to bring in his wings and stop the sword from flaming. Though he still held it close, not trusting the legion of angels to leave him alone. "In simple terms a long time ago there was a very big war and I refused to fight my brother, and my other siblings seemed to think I was the only one who could have stopped Lucifer. They felt like they couldn't trust me, but I hadn't done anything actually worthy of falling so they couldn't send me to Hell. They decided that since I chose not to pick a side and fight in the war that my punishment would be…"

"They split you in half and sent your bad side to hell and kept your good half." Adam exclaimed.

"Exactly, though neither half really fit in Heaven or Hell. So at the first opportunity both halves were sent to work on Earth." Raphael finished, "Heaven felt guilty looking at Aziraphale and Hell felt like Crowley was a spy."

"So does that mean that the other two are gone, now that you're back?" Adam questioned.

"Do you think they would like that?" Raphael grinned knowingly.

"Not in the least." Anathema spoke up. "I know that you are both of them, but I get the feeling that they and you by default like having their own lives."

"Neither Aziraphale or Crowley's lives were ever really their own, for better or worse they were always bound together, two halves of one soul." Raphael explained, "But you're right, I can hear them both in my head. They need each other more than they need me right now. However, now that they know, when there is a time that they might need me, I'm only a touch away."

"So they can't touch each other without you showing up. No handshakes, no hugs…" Anathemia worried.

"It may take them some time, but they can control it." Raphael reassured, "They may need some reassurance when I'm gone. That's where you three come in. Tell them what they need to hear, they are still very much their own persons."


	8. Chapter 8

**Back to the longer chapters. Please review, I really love hearing from you. Of course I own nothing. **

There was no bright light, no loud whoosh just a simple pop then angel and demon were straightening their jackets and stretching out their limbs. To everyone's surprise, including his own Crowley was the one holding the sword. Upon realizing it he tossed it to the angel as though it was burning his skin, which it should have been, but wasn't. Aziraphale distracted by a lamp broken by Raphael's wing, barely had time to react to the flying sword.

"Really Crowley."

"Well it's not mine, demons don't get flaming swords." Crowley was checking his reflection in the mirror just to confirm he was still in fact a demon before pulling out his sunglasses.

"Mine was never that grand, you know that." Aziraphale eyed the sword. "Perhaps it's ours."

"There is no ours, there is no us, I'll be blessed if I ever let that happen again." Crowley glared at his friend.

"You are blessed old friend, especially if that happens." Aziraphale smiled, he couldn't figure out why Crowley wouldn't want the chance to rise from Hell, especially since he never truly fell in the first place. "You're an angel dear boy, I must say I always knew you were to kind to be a demon."

"Don't say another word! I AM NOT kind and I AM NOT blessed. I AM a DEMON. I have been a demon for over 6000 years and this changes nothing."

"It changes everything Crowley." Aziraphale made a step toward his friend causing the demon to retreat to the door.

"Don't touch me, don't come any closer. I'm not like you."

"No, you're not." Anathema was the first to regain her composure this time. "You're still different people, you...he...Raphael said so." Crowley squirmed at the use of his angelic name, while Aziraphale beamed see if he let Michael and Gabriel walk all over him again. As long as Crowley was near he had power over them.

"You said it yourself earlier." Newt reminded, "Two sides of a coin, the good and the bad, the angel and the demon."

"The coin maybe nicer as a whole, but ultimately if one side is scratched or damaged it's still worth the same." Anathema added.

"I mean you had to know you had more power together otherwise why would you two keep helping each other all the time?" Adam frowned, "It's like me, and Pepper, and Brian, and Wensley, were alright apart and we can do some neat stuff, but we can't face Greasy Johnson by ourselves, and the games aren't as fun unless we work together."

"I'm going home angel. I've had enough of this you're high maintenance for me, and I don't even like you!" Crowley was out the door.

"You do!" Aziraphale was quick to follow. He couldn't help but think back to two months ago when he had been the one shouting those hurtful words, he hadn't meant it then and he was sure Crowley didn't mean it now. "Stop right there."

Crowley didn't have much of a choice, there was a sword at his back. "Come now angel you couldn't do it even if you wanted to." The turned with his hands up in surrender. "To kill me would be to kill yourself."

"We don't know that." Aziraphale frowned, he had never meant to threaten his friend, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Do you even remember how to use that?" The demon taunted, "I'll help, the sharp end goes here." He put his hand on the blade and pulled it closer to his own heart. Aziraphale took advantage of the situation and placed his hand on top of Crowleys. Once more there was a bright light and loud vrumph, this time accompanied by a very demonic, "Ah Fuck!"

"Now let's get back inside and work this out like sensible individuals." Aziraphale walked the once again remerged body into Jasmine Cottage.

"I swear to Go... I swear to Sa...I swear if you don't let me go I will run that blade through our combined heart." Crowley shouted.

"You two really know how to make a scene." Anathema and the others had been watching from the doorstep. "Could one of you fix my lamp now?"

"Oh dear, I do hope no one else saw that." Aziraphale's voice came out while the lamp repaired itself. "I suppose I should have been more aware of our surroundings."

"No one saw." Adam reassured, "Between the hedges… and well I helped to."

"Greatly appreciated young man."

"Oh yeah, so helpful." Crowley spat, "Any clue how to get me out of this blessed trap before we fully join again and the big guy comes out?"

"I would guess you both focus on being yourselves." Adam shrugged. "Like you both have to want to be apart."

"Well I want nothing more than to be my own demonic self." Crowley made himself very clear. "Angel let me out."

"Do you promise not to leave?" Aziraphale worried.

"I promise."

"Say the whole thing Crowley."

"I promise not to leave." Heavenly blue eyes rolled.

"And you promise to talk about this rationally?" Aziraphale instructed.

"I promise to talk about this rationally." There was a pop and once again there stood one angel and one demon. "I'm holding on to this, who knows who you'll point it at next." Crowley tucked the sword in his belt.

"Very well." Aziraphale nodded.

"And no more touching." Crowley ordered.

"I'm with him, you guys are giving me a headache." Newt went to prepare some more tea.

"No more touching, understood." Aziraphale went for a chair, "but we do need to talk. Gabriel will be back and we aren't much to face him on our own. We need Raphael."

"I want nothing to do with angel affairs. I don't see how any of this has to be my problem." Crowley stayed leaning against the door frame, looking ready to run for it at any minute. But he was a demon of his word and had promised to stay.

"Well that's just it isn't it." Anathema pointed out. "You are involved with angel affairs, and not because you are one, but because you're friends with one. If you disappear what's going to happen to him?"

"You were always the stronger one Crowley, you can't expect me to take on Gabriel and Michael and all of Heaven on my own. Then how long until Hell gets involved. Surely they had a hand in our...Raphael's separation." Aziraphale was pleading. "I need you Crowley, and not because of what happens when we …"

"You don't need me Angel, never have." Crowley hadn't bothered to put his sunglasses back on after the most recent separation. He wanted there to be no doubt that he was in fact a demon.

"The Reign of Terror, World War II, Hellfire, those were just the times discorporation or permanent death were on the line. Aziraphale countered.

"I saved you some paperwork, and you wouldn't have even been in danger of Hellfire if it weren't for me." Crowley argued.

"You know that's not true." Aziraphale needed to make his friend see this wasn't about who they were together but about the time they spent just being with each other. He was worried if he didn't find the right words he would lose his best friend. "You're my best friend...Demon." The small smile that Crowley quickly covered confirmed that Aziraphale was on the right path using his own pet name against him. "And I wouldn't have wanted anyone else by my side on that wall so long ago."

"It doesn't matter." Crowley sagged into the nearest seat, stopping to readjust the sword on his belt. "Bloody thing," He cursed it. "We always knew that it was dangerous for us to be friends."

"Things are different now." Aziraphale reminded, "We have an advantage now."

"Do we though, the Descendent…"

"Anathema." She cut in.

"Yes, right you. Anyway she said it herself Heaven put a target on our back and it won't be long before Hell gets on board. The two of us are no match for all of Heaven and Hell."

"But…"

"You think one Archangel could fend off all of Heaven and Hell?"

"Well…"

"I wish the bastard had hit us with his Holy Bat." Crowley sighed.

"But then we wouldn't remember." Aziraphale couldn't see how that was helpful.

"If we didn't know the truth we wouldn't be any threat to them. They'd leave us alone at least for a little while longer."

"We aren't a threat to them now." Aziraphale argued. "We just want to be left alone."

"Isn't that what we wanted that got us split in the first place. They don't like those who won't follow blindly." Crowley pointed out.

"I suppose both sides have that in common." Aziraphale nodded.

"Oh they have more in common than either will ever admit." Crowley breathed, "Sometimes you really have to do a bit of looking to find out who the nice ones really are."

"Excuse me but I'm going to have to be going home for dinner soon." Adam interrupted.

"I don't suppose you could make us forget." Crowley was ever the optimist, you had to be if you were struck in Hell without actually falling.

"I don't think I'm supposed to." The boy frowned.

"What do you mean, "You're not supposed to'?" Crowley was prepared to do any amount of tempting.

"Maybe you don't need to forget." Newt spoke up. "I mean it seems to me you just need time."

"Don't say time to process." Crowley growled.

"No, time to plan, time to prepare, time to remember what you're capable of." Newt suggested.

"Time to figure out what you can do being together and what you can do actually 'being together'." Anathema agreed. "Obviously the other angels were afraid of Raphael. You...I mean he must have some power over them."

"I can do that." Adam announced, "I can give you time. 'Hide the Angel Aziraphale, the Demon Crowley, and the Archangel Raphael from any forces on Heaven and Hell or on Earth that may want to cause them harm, until they are ready to face them."" Adam spoke loud and firm and a wave of power struck both angel and demon. "Can I go now."


	9. Chapter 9

**I hope everyone is still enjoying the story. I'm excited with the direction this is going in. Let me know what you think. Of course I own nothing. **

Neither said anything on the drive back to London, and Crowley made a point to stay as far from Aziraphale as he could while still being able to drive the car.

"We'll be in touch." Aziraphale asked before he got out at his book shop.

"Hmmm." Crowley replied as noncommittal as possible.

"You'll call." Aziraphale tried again. "Crowley?" He went to put his hand on his friends sleeve causing the demon to flinch away from the contact. "Perhaps I'll call you then." The angel got out of the Bentley.

And he did, he called the next morning, and the morning after that. After a week of no answers he went to Crowley's flat, the first two days he simply knocked. The third time he let himself in with a snap of his fingers.

He had never been in Crowley's home before, it was nothing like what he imagined, it was however very Crowley. Neat and Sleek, minimalistic and dark, Aziraphale was not expecting all the plants, they were beautiful.

He knew instantly that his friend was not there. He had been here recently though. He hadn't left London, which was a slight relief. Crowley was just avoiding him, not actually running from him. Perhaps he'd just try and phone him tomorrow.

However things have a funny way of never going quite how you planned.

Aziraphale had been tending to his bookshop counting the minutes to an acceptable closing time so he could try once again to call his friend.

It was nearing two thirty and he supposed that would do, his shop was known for erratic hours one of the many ways he avoided actually selling his books.

He had just gotten up from his desk to flip the sign when he heard the tinkling of the shop bell. One more customer then.

"How may I… Oh dear." The angels heartbeat raced.

"Aziraphale." Gabriel nodded, scanning the shop. "Where is the demon?"

"I feel I can tell you with all honesty I haven't the foggiest." Aziraphale backed away from the Archangel looking for anything that he could use as a weapon.

"Call him here." Gabriel instructed.

"I fear it wouldn't do any good." Aziraphale had backed into a wall. "He appears to be screening his calls. He doesn't seem to want to talk to me."

"You two were damn near inseparable for two months, Do you know how many times I had to visit with that cricket bat." Gabriel frowned, "And you choose now to have a fight."

"We didn't have a fight." Aziraphale argued, "He's just...just not comfortable with what we've found out."

"Why ever not?" He should be ecstatic, he never fell, he can still return to Heaven." Gabriel didn't understand.

"You've spent your entire existence being Gabriel." Aziraphale didn't know why but he felt a boost of confidence. "Imagine someone coming to you and saying oh no sorry you're wrong, you're actually the complete opposite of everything you thought you were, and the reason for that is your family quite literally cut you in half."

"But he could, you both could return to Heaven, as the Holiest and most powerful, God's oldest son." Gabriel truly could not understand why anyone would not want to live in Heaven, "There is nothing to lose."

"Except a best friend." Neither Aziraphale nor Gabriel had heard him come in, but there much to the former's delight stood Crowley leaning completely relaxed against one of his angels bookshelves.

"Crowley!" How did you? Why?" Aziraphale questioned, but he truly was just relieved to see his friend, now he knew where the confidence had come from. He may not have known his friend was there but something inside him knew. "I didn't hear you come in."

"You broadcast when you're nervous Angel. It's rather annoying." Crowley smirked. "I could have heard you on the moon."

"But you came…"

"I always come when you need me." Crowley cut him off. "I always figured it was because we had spent so long being the only celestial beings on earth that I knew when you were scared. I suppose it's something a little deeper."

"Well I'm also relieved you're here. I need to talk to Raphael." Gabriel interrupted.

"Not likely." Quite surprisingly it was Aziraphale that answered.

"I'm sorry?" Gabriel stared, Aziraphale had never been so bold with him before, he had expected it from the demon, but not Aziraphale.

"Did he stutter?" Crowley moved closer to the Archangel, not quite menacing but he was prepared if it came to that.

"I need to speak to him." Gabriel looked from angel to demon.

"We're listening." Crowley stopped one row of books away from the unwelcome guest.

"You are not my brother." Gabriel snapped at the demon.

"No?" Crowley very slowly placed his sunglasses in his inside jacket as he moved forward. Every movement calculated as he raised his head, snake eyes straight at the Archangels own violet ones. "Because I seem to recall everything. Tell me Gabriel do you want to hear what God and I discussed right before she created you? What about what it felt like to hang the stars?" Gabriel tried to hold Crowley's gaze, he tried to stay strong in the face of the demon's threat, but couldn't stare into those eyes while hearing his brothers memories, his gaze fell to the ground. "I remember it all now 'little brother'." Crowley laughed.

"I think he gets the point." Aziraphale cut in.

"I don't know that he does Angel. You see I have this very vivid memory of my little brother, the brother I cared for, played with, taught, and took care of running a flaming sword straight down the middle of my very being and then none to graciously pushing me downward." Crowley's glare had not left the Archangel. "So if he wants to talk to his brother, well why not have the courage to talk to the beings you turned him into."

"Aziraphale, all you need to do is touch him right." Gabriel did something not even he expected and pleaded with the Principality.

"I'm afraid I'm with Crowley on this one. I to seem to recall being cut in half as well and feel it's only fair that until we feel you have earned it you'll be talking to the two of us." Aziraphale relayed.

"Let's just assume that if we agree on something that's Raphael's opinion." Crowley moved to stand beside his friend, careful to keep his hands in his pockets. "I'd start talking otherwise this is a waste of all of our time. But be warned, thanks to you I've recently learned I may be the only demon who can brandish a flaming sword." Crowley smirked.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 for you, I hope you enjoy. I love the reviews, I do hope they continue. Of course I own nothing. **

"Start talking." Crowley demanded.

Gabriel started to pace, stopping to look from angel to demon, then pacing again. "I...I…"

"Any day now." Crowley hissed.

"I...I'm sorry." Gabriel stopped in front of the two.

"Excuse me." Both angel and demon gawked.

"I'm sorry for cutting you in two, I'm sorry for forcing Aziraphale into hellfire. I didn't want to do it. I didn't have a choice." Gabriel collapsed on Aziraphale's couch.

"You always have a choice." Aziraphale frowned.

"Maybe you did, you were the oldest you could do whatever you wanted." Gabriel returned.

"That's not true." Crowley argued.

"Then you were split and when you did something wrong it was chalked up to you being half an Archangel." Gabriel continued without acknowledging Crowley's interruption. "But after you refused to fight Lucifer I was the one everybody was looking to. They wanted your head they thought you should have stopped Lucifer, that you could have saved all their friends from falling. I didn't know what to do. No one had come to me like that before, you and Lucifer always dealt with the problems. I didn't know what to do. Some angels wanted you dead, some wanted you in Hell, you were...are...you are my big brother I couldn't do that. Then Michael suggested splitting you up so that the angels would assume we took care of you, and we wouldn't actually be lying if we said we sent you to Hell. It sounded like a good idea, but neither Michael, Uriel or I wanted to be the one to do it. Sandolphon had just been created to replace Lucifer and he volunteered all to readily. But it wasn't right, he didn't even know you. If I was to the be the oldest I had to do it, I had to be the strong one. Michael was already feeling guilty about having thought of the idea, and Uriel was just a scared kid only 500 or so years older than the first flock of angels. I just couldn't let Sandolphon do it, have his first act as an Archangel be something so violent, and I didn't want my little sisters to live with the guilt. I didn't want to…"

"We know." Both angel and demon informed at the same time.

"Wait… you knew?" Gabriel had collapsed onto Aziraphale's couch.

"I mean we didn't know while we were two different people." Aziraphale started.

"But it came back with the memories." Crowley finished.

"How?"

"You were oozing guilt and sorrow when you separated Raphael." Aziraphale stated.

"And God had talked to Raphael before, while you guys were deliberating." Crowley added.

"He knew what was going to happen before he walked into the room." Aziraphale continued.

"God had told him it was necessary for her plan, and that neither half would remember who they really were until his siblings were ready to face him." Crowley finished.

"It was a test?" Gabriel frowned, "A game?"

"And we are all pawns." Crowley shrugged, "Always have been always will be."

"God tests humans everyday, why wouldn't she test her Archangels." Aziraphale reasoned, "It's not like you guys have proven yourself perfect."

"Except for Raphael." Gabriel nodded.

"But even he was tested, told he was going to be split in two by his family half of him being sent to Hell with neither half knowing the truth." Aziraphale reminded.

"Could've said no, rebelled. At least then he would have fallen as a whole angel." Crowley added. "Choices aren't just for humans."

"You two are more so pawns than anybody else." Gabriel realized. "You were created by the choices of others and now I came in here and just assumed you wouldn't want to continue to exist. Like you weren't real in the first place."

"Our little Archangel is growing up." Crowley smirked.

"I think it's not just Raphael I own an apology to." Gabriel confessed. "I am truly sorry to the both of you for my behavior earlier this evening, for assuming that your own existence was something that you would just give up to appease my conscious."

"It's a start." Crowley shrugged, "What about over 6000 years of bullying you put my friend through. Not to mention the Hellfire."

"I'm afraid the Hellfire conversation went down much like the separation conversation, a three to one vote. And I never meant to bully you Aziraphale. I just thought that if I was hard on you and pushed you I might force some part of my brother out. Not to mention the guilt as to being the reason you never quite fit in. I am very sorry Aziraphale."

Angel and demon looked at each other with a nod and extended their hands to each other.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry it took me so long to post a new chapter. I hope you enjoy it, please review. I own nothing. **

There was a white light and a loud vrumph. "When you do it on purpose it's not to terrible." Crowley caught an angelic reflection in the glass bookcase and fixed his white/blond hair. "Unlike when someone forces it on you."

"I would have apologized but someone else has been avoiding me for a week and a half." Aziraphale straightened their vest.

"Let's get this over with, so I can consume massive amounts of alcohol sooner rather than later." Crowley announced, and then there was silence. The angelic body moved to sit across from Gabriel.

"Raphael?" Gabriel hoped.

"Little brother." The oldest of Archangels smiled.

"I'm so sorry. I should have been better." Gabriel confessed, "You would have been better."

"No Gabriel, you've been so strong. You were put in impossible situations by your own family. And you kept them together."

"Not all of them." Gabriel looked into his brothers eyes.

"What happened to me is not your fault Gabriel, you must remember that. I made my choice." Raphael reassured.

"All you did was choose not to kill our brother." Gabriel argued, "I couldn't even stop the others from trying to kill half of you."

"I'm afraid it's far more complicated than that." Raphael leaned back in his chair. "Lucifer came to me some time before the rebellion telling me of his grand plan. I could have done something, even if I couldn't talk him out of it I could have warned the angels of the dangers of his ideas. I chose to keep it a secret. I thought I was giving the angels a chance to prove themselves as faithful followers of the Almighty. I was mistaken."

"That's hardly worthy of what you've been through. I've learned rather recently that it may be a good thing to make your own choices every now and again. That's all you did, you gave the angels a choice." Gabriel didn't see his brother's secret as nearly as sinful as his own transgressions.

"Perhaps, but you're aware that God spoke to me after the battle." Raphael questioned and Gabriel nodded. "She told me what was going to happen to me. She told me that even though I had not actively rebelled I had chosen not to guard her creations, and as the leader of guardian angels that was a problem. She confided that while the events that were about to take place may feel like a punishment it was not. She said she understood my actions and while misguided they were noble and ultimately part of her ineffable plan. Being separated would allow me to be a far better guardian to humanity than I would be if I were stuck in Heaven, she reassured me that even as a demon I would be fulfilling my duty as a guardian to humanity. I accepted my fate long before you raised the blade."

"They have all your memories, are they...I mean...are they really you?" Gabriel needed to know.

"More and more every day." Raphael nodded.

"And you have their memories?"

"I do." Raphael nodded again.

"So you know the terrible things I put Aziraphale through...the Hellfire… I let Michael go to Hell with Holy Water for Crowley."

"Gabriel."

"Don't say it, I knew they were you and I still… Michael and Uriel we all knew. We would have killed you. I mean...you wouldn't have done it, not if it had been us."

"Please stop comparing yourself to me Gabriel. It's not fair on either of us. I don't deserve it." Raphael leaned in to his brother. "My time in Hell and on Earth has taught me that everyone, angel, human, and even most demons are just getting by the best they can with what they are given."

"Now you sound like Aziraphale the way he's always dithering on about humans being worth our time." Gabriel rolled his eyes, causing Raphael to raise his eyebrows. "Right. I suppose you are Aziraphale somewhere in there." Raphael nodded as his brother spoke. "And I'm the one who assigned him to Earth for all these years knowing he was at least half of you. So I shouldn't be surprised that you developed a soft spot for humans, you were the same with the stars, and then the fledglings."

"Gabriel loving things is not a crime."

"Maybe not but it hurts when you lose the person you love most." The younger Archangel stared at the ground.

"You never lost me. You just had to look a little harder."

"Who said you were the person I loved most, maybe I was talking about Lucifer. You weren't the only brother we lost that day." Gabriel looked up with a grin that earned him a loving shove from his big brother.

"Are we okay Gabriel?"

"I feel like I should be the one asking that." Gabriel admitted. "But if you're okay then I'm okay."

"I'm more than okay. I have a chance at getting my family back."

"It may take the girls a little time. Michael is still in denial and Uriel is afraid to lose you again." Gabriel sighed, "but they'll come around. What did you mean when you said Crowley and Aziraphale were becoming more and more of you each day?"

"They share my soul, the more time they spend together, the stronger they each grow. They share the parts of me that the other originally lacked."

"Is that how they survived Hellfire and Holy Water?" Gabriel interrupted.

"Not quite, but that is for them to share not me." Raphael grinned, "It is however what led to their ultimate reemergence as me."

"Does that mean if they keep spending time together eventually they won't have a choice, they'll be you permanently?" Gabriel couldn't help but hope, but felt immediately guilty.

"I think it means the opposite actually." Raphael confessed, "Each half will become more Archangelic, more me but remain separate."

"So there will be two of you?"

"There already are two of me." Raphael reminded, "Each one is different, made from their own experiences, but both are their own Archangel."

"But then you'll be gone." Gabriel worried.

"They will always be able to become one should they need to, or if one particularly persistent little brother needs to talk." Raphael smiled, "I'm not going anywhere."

"What about Crowley? How can he be an Archangel and a demon?"

"He never fell." Raphael reminded.

"He's not a demon." Gabriel's eyes widened. "How?"

"Raphael chuckled, "God hid him in Hell made him look like a demon. Allowed him to survive Hellfire."

"But he believes he's a demon." Gabriel frowned. "I've been told consecrated ground burns him."

"6,000 years of everyone telling you what you are, with no memory of who you were before." Raphael sighed, "The mind, even an angels mind is susceptible to outside forces. What normally happens to demons on consecrated ground?"

"They burst into flame." Gabriel shrugged, and then it hit him. "He only felt the burning because that's what he had been told to expect. If he had really been a demon he would have been killed. Does he know?"

"He does, it came back with his memories of being me." Raphael nodded. "How he handles that information is up to him." Raphael was quiet for a minute. "It's time for me to go Gabriel. I suggest you take steps toward getting to know Aziraphale and Crowley you might find more of me in them than you were expecting."


	12. Chapter 12

**Another chapter for you lovely people. I hope you like it, let me know, please leave me a review. Of course I own nothing. **

"Wait! Raphael!" But before Gabriel could say anything more there was a pop and in front of him were an angel and a not so demonic demon. Crowley went straight for the angels liquor cabinet, grabbing the closest bottle and two glasses, before stopping to offer a third glass in Gabriel's direction.

"He doesn't consume gross matter." Aziraphale shook his head before Gabriel could answer. Crowley went to put the glass back.

"Maybe just this once." Gabriel eyed the amber liquid. So Crowley brought the three glasses and a bottle of fine aged scotch.

"How did you find Aziraphale? We were under the impression we had a little bit of time before we should start expecting you lot at our doorstep." Crowley sipped from his glass.

"He didn't mean us any harm." Aziraphale answered for the Archangel.

"I'm missing something." Gabriel followed the other's lead and took a sip from the glass before spitting it out with a look of pure revulsion.

"Should have warned you," Crowley smirked, "Alcohol's a bit of an acquired taste. The more you drink the better it tastes."

"Adam, the former Antichrist, gave us a small amount of protection from those who might try to harm us while we figure things out." Aziraphale had tried not to smile at Gabriel's disgust with the scotch but failed completely.

"You do realize Heaven knows you run this bookshop right." Gabriel tried another sip, choosing to save face and swallow the scotch. "Is it supposed to burn your throat."

"I was kind of hoping Heaven would just assume I was hiding out somewhere with Crowley." Aziraphale admitted, "And yes Alcohol does tend to burn especially when you've never had it before."

"If it doesn't taste good and it burns your throat why drink it?" Gabriel frowned.

"Because it helps you think and it calms the nerves." Crowley answered, "And honestly Angel did you not think this would be the first place they looked?"

"Well you were at your flat...at least some of the time." Aziraphale argued.

"And I've been very careful over the years to make sure Heaven doesn't know where that is." Crowley sipped.

"But I know where it is." Aziraphale reminded.

"For emergencies only Angel." Crowley returned, "Not to visit daily for a week." Gabriel just sat and watched them go back and forth, like brothers, like he and Raphael had so long ago.

"Well if you had only answered your phone!"

"I had some things to sort out." Crowely set his glass down and moved to stare out the shop window.

"Ah right. I should have...I am sorry Crowley." Aziraphale wasn't quite sure how to help his friend. What do you say to your best friend when their very identity had come into question, but he didn't have to say anything.

"You know I don't think it really matters if your an angel or a demon." Gabriel took another sip. "Isn't that humanity's big thing choosing your identity."

"Excuse me?" Both Crowley and Aziraphale turned to the Archangel.

"You've been kicked out of Hell and no offense Heaven doesn't want you."

"None taken." Crowley smirked moving back to his glass, leave it to angels to think he'd be offended by those pious pricks not wanting him. "Get to the point."

"So you get to chose don't you? On Earth, do you want to be an angel or a demon?" Gabriel was making an unusual amount of sense.

"That's assuming Heaven really leaves us alone." Aziraphale pointed out.

"And you lot haven't been to good about keeping your word." Crowley added.

"Heaven is only interested in Raphael." Gabriel assured. "We've no interest in you two as separate beings."

"At the moment." Crowley cut in. "You heard Raphael, and yes we remember the conversation, as if we were active participants, we weren't locked in some back room of his brain." Crowley responded to the look of confusion and curiosity on Gabriel's face.

"I think what Crowley is getting at is, what happens down the road, when the time he and I spend together starts to show." Aziraphale took over.

"Your lots afraid of us now and we are nothing in comparison to the forces of Heaven and Hell." Crowley reminded. "There's that part of me that's Raphael that trusts you, but the rest of me sees the bastard who told my best friend to 'hurry up and die already'."

"I believe all we really want is assurance that regardless of any strength or power we may accumulate in the years to come that we can remain neutral entities. Visits are fine maybe the occasional job but we really and truly just want to be left alone." Aziraphale remained polite as always.

"Because there is no way in Heaven or Hell I'm losing my best friend again." Crowley finished his glass.

"I can't speak for all of Heaven, but assuming I still get visitation rights with my brother, I'd be willing to agree to that." Gabriel finally managed a sip without wincing. "Given time I'm sure Michael and Uriel might be willing to make the same agreement."

"And Sandolphon?" Aziraphale frowned.

"He may be harder to convince, but even so it'd be a three to one vote." Gabriel informed.

"Four to one." Crowley refilled his glass, "Am I mistaken in thinking Raphael still gets a vote. He's still an Archangel isn't he."

"This is true." Gabriel grinned, "That may mean you and by you I mean Raphael will have to return to Heaven to make the vote official at some point in the future, but only God would be able to argue with a four to one vote."

"See Crowley there is a chance for us." Aziraphale was beaming.

"I'll believe it when I see it." The undemonic demon refused to let any optimism show.

"I should be leaving, someone might start to ask questions. Thank you for the…" His voice trailed but he raised his half drank glass of scotch. "I'll be in touch, I hope. And Aziraphale it actually might be best if you stay somewhere other than the bookshop for a while. Even with the Antichrists protection this is the first place Heaven would look." Before either could respond Gabriel was gone leaving nothing but his half empty glass.


	13. Chapter 13

**Next chapter for you, I'm going to give you fair warning I'm about to head back to work in a week so the chapters might slow down. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a little short. I own nothing. **

"Right so I expect this means you'll be wanting to stay at my place then." Crowley looked to his angel.

"If it's not to much of an inconvenience." Aziraphale straightened his vest.

"Safety in numbers then." Crowley downed his glass and finished off Gabriel's for good measures. "The three of us should be able to handle anything to terrible."

"The three of us? Oh Raphael, quite right." Aziraphale took a final sip from his glass. "Just let me tidy up a couple things real quick."

"Take your time, we've only got eternity." Crowley was becoming slightly more optimistic about the future, because maybe just maybe they really would be left alone.

"Crowley?" The angel started.

"Not now." The undecided celestial entity knew what his friend was going to ask. "Give me a bit more alcohol then we can talk."

"Of course." The angel grabbed his coat and locked up the shop. "So I suppose this means I finally get to see the inside of your flat." Aziraphale went for a neutral topic.

"You were in it yesterday." Crowley reminded, "And the night the world didn't end."

"Yes but I've never been further than your living area, I've never had a proper look around."

"There's not much to see. It's pretty normal, it's got everything I need." Crowley's eyes never left the road. He was driving uncharacteristically slow, still speeding through central London by human standards, but by Crowley standards slow. Like someone dreading their destination or at least the conversation that would take place once they got there.

"If I may? What's with the plants?" Aziraphale was looking for a safe topic.

"I like to talk to them."

"That's ni…"

"Don't say it." Crowley hissed.

"Right sorry."

"I threaten them, I make them fear me so they grow better."

"Is that really necessary?" Aziraphale knew what his friend was doing, and he hated it. His friend shouldn't have to dissect every thing he's ever done as kind or evil. He didn't have to prove anything to Aziraphale, and as far as above and below, they gave up their claims when they tried to execute them.

"I suppose you'd rather I coddle them, baby them, show them respect." Crowley risked a glance at his friend as he parked the Bentley. "Then they'll never be able to fend for themselves." Aziraphale chose not to answer, but to simply follow his friend into the building.

The angel eyed the serpent circling the doorbell, he had always meant to ask if all demons could turn into animals or just some, but now wasn't the time.

"I never realized you had neighbors." Aziraphale looked at the other doors in the hallway, something didn't add up. Crowley just shrugged.

"Your rooms this way, I've had it made up for you for years just in case. Last door on the right across from the library."

"Library?" Aziraphale perked up, "You told me you didn't read."

"I lied."

"Crowley?" The angel looked around the flat, it seemed far to big, to many rooms to fit on one floor of the building, especially with neighbors.

"Hmmm?" The demonic angel turned to his friend, when he noticed he had stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"I do believe...your home may be bigger on the inside."

"So I've been told." Crowley gave a knowing smirk.

**I will not apologize for the shameless TV reference. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry it took me so long to post, but I did warn you. Now that I'm back at work I'll be a little slower to post, my students come first. I hope you have been enjoying it so far, please review. As always, I own nothing. **

As he settled into his room Aziraphale couldn't help but smile, Crowley had this room made just for him, ready in case of emergency. When the angel did emerge from his room Crowley was most the way through a bottle of wine, so Aziraphale grabbed a glass and joined him.

After several hours of drinking heavily they were both ready to broach the subject they had been avoiding.

"Crowley are you okay?" Aziraphale sat slightly slouched with wine glass in hand.

"Never been better!" Crowley was leaning heavily on the wall wine glass dangling from his long fingers.

"You know I don't care one way or another right. You're still my best friend." Aziraphale was using everything he had to focus on not slurring his words.

"You're...angel...I'm...I'm...I'm your only friend." Crowley moved to a chair.

"Well...you don't have to be rude."

"It's part of my...no...no...no I don't suppose it is." Crowley dropped his glass.

"You can be rude if you'd like." Aziraphale watched his friends eyes glaze over, maybe they weren't drunk enough yet.

"What if I don't know what I like?" The shattered glass forgotten on the floor as Crowley appeared to fold in on himself. His normal confident slouch turned into something very much not Crowley.

"What do you mean you don't know what you like?" Aziraphale frowned, "What do you do when you aren't tempting?"

"Nothing." The old snake hissed into his chest. Crowley seemed almost sober, when had that happened.

"You must do something." The angel was starting to really worry about his friend. Aziraphale had the bookshop but he truly didn't know what Crowley did when they weren't together.

"I sssleep and I drink." Aziraphale looked to his friend and saw a sight he hadn't seen in a couple millenia, a large black snake coiled where his friend had been.

"None of that." Aziraphale couldn't help but laugh.

"Whatsss funny?" The snake hissed.

"I haven't seen you this drunk in years you old snake."

"Not ssssso drunk." Crowley groaned.

"So just pouting then." Aziraphale sobered up.

"I don't pout." The snake spat, "Demonsss don't...well who knowsss maybe I am pouting."

"Stop. Just stop right there." The angel had officially hit his limit, this was not Crowley. "Straighten yourself up."

"What?" The snake sat up, a funny sight under different circumstances. Crowley had never heard Aziraphale talk to him like that.

"You're being absolutely ridiculous. I think I'd smack you if you weren't so pathetic right now. This is not you Crowley." The angel was letting his friend hear it. "Because the Crowley I've gotten to know the past 6,000 years never gave a damn what anybody thought of him. He cursed Heaven and Hell alike. So now after starring Satan down you're going to let Gabriel and some angels turn you into this coiled heap."

"Did you just call me pathetic, angel?" Crowley was back and staring at Aziraphale.

"Yes, yes I did." The angel was on his feet standing over the undecided entity. "And it was completely deserved."

"I suppose it was." The shattered wine glass whole and in his hand once again.

"Weren't you the one who said we were on our own side now?"

"I did say that." Crowley sipped his wine.

"Then it stands to reason, we both get to choose who we want to be." Aziraphale returned to his chair. "I could start tempting people for fun." At that Crowley laughed. "It could happen, I've gotten quite good at it thanks to our Arrangement."

"That you have." Crowley smirked.

"I had a very demonic teacher." The angel assured. "I learned from the best."

"I don't know about that." Crowley sighed. "When you think about it, I've actually been a pretty rubbish demon."

"I disagree." Aziraphale started.

"I've spent just as much time saving you as I've spent tempting." Crowley teased.

"I'm not always the damsel in distress. You remember, oh what year was it, you were about to be burned at the stake."

"That was not my fault." Crowley growled, "Some brat stole my glasses, and when he didn't like what he saw he had to go and find the vicar."

"You could have got away, fought."

"Like I said rubbish demon." Crowley raised his glass in a toast. "You know I saved those kids, at the ark. I found them good families, took care of a couple of them myself until better parents came along. You couldn't drown kids."

"I know." Aziraphale gave a small smile and refilled his wine glass.

"You knew?" Crowley frowned, "You never said anything."

"Honestly, I was curious. I watched you, I wanted to know what a demon wanted with children."

"Of all of the things I've done, the times you tried to convince me I was nice you never brought that up."

"It was none of my business."

"For my money you just didn't want me to know you were spying on me." Crowley smirked.

"It was my job to keep an eye on you, and that was long before the Arrangement."

"And you just let the big bad demon take the kids?"

"It was you or drowning." Aziraphale reminded.

"Most angels would chose drowning." Crowley pointed out.

"Well then I suppose I'm a pretty rubbish angel." Aziraphale toasted his wine glass in imitation of Crowley.

"Nonsense." Crowley refilled his wine glass. "I don't think there is any question as to your divinity."

"For what it's worth, I'd say you're a pretty good demon."

"You're just saying that so I don't get all drunk and 'Crawley' again." He smiled.

"No, I'm saying it because you're my friend and because it's true." Aziraphale returned the smile. "As far as I know you've done two things no other demon has ever done."

"You mean save children and angels. Or one angel over and over."

"I was thinking original sin, tempting Eve in the garden. No other demon has that on their resume." Aziraphale started, "Then the small act of tempting an angel to sin. Starts with lunch and then you've got an angel doing your dirty work. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I don't think any other demon can say that."

"Technically I don't think any demon can say that." Crowley sighed.

"Well don't tell Hell that." Aziraphale couldn't help but chuckle.

"I suppose they wouldn't like the idea that the serpent that tempted Eve and brought about original sin was an angel. An Archangel at that." Crowley laughed. "Hastur would have a field day." Both laughed for several minutes before Crowley turned to his friend. "So what do you think Angel? What am I?"

"That's simple." Aziraphale was glad to see his friend out of his slump. "You my dear friend are Crowley."

"Ahh, simple then. Just Crowley." He chuckled.

"No not **JUST** Crowley. You're Crowley." The angel corrected, "My best friend. The friend who tempted me to try new things, saved me from the French, the Germans, and Heaven. There is nothing **JUST** about you."

"So what now?" Crowley sighed after a minute.

"I suppose we…" Aziraphale stopped.

"Not now." Crowley shook his head. "I need sleep. We can try in the morning."

"Alright then." The angel nodded, "May I use your library?"

"You're the reason it's there." The demonic angel assured.


	15. Chapter 15

**Here is the next chapter for you, it's a little shorter than I had hoped but I wanted to get something posted while I had my home computer open. I hope you enjoy it. Please review, I read them all over and over again and love every one of them. Of course I own nothing. **

"You want to do what?" Crowley laughed, watching the angel eat breakfast while his own remained untouched.

"We need to test ourselves if we're going to have to face Heaven and Hell. It would help if we knew our own strength." Aziraphale reasoned between bites.

"I understand that, but you want us to do what?" Crowley sipped from his glass of tea that had miraculously turned to Whiskey at the angels suggestion.

"It seems reasonable enough." Aziraphale tried to argue.

"You want us to fight? Each other." Crowley raised an eyebrow.

"Well yes."

"You want us to fight?" Crowley repeated, "We don't fight, in fact that's kinda become our thing. We didn't fight in the first war that's how we became us. We didn't fight at almost Armageddon and now we get to eat breakfast together without caring who knows. I'd say not fighting has worked out fine for us."

"But for how long Crowley?"

"You're doubting my charm and quick wit?"

"Not at all."

"And you're more than clever enough."

"I appreciate the confidence." The angel blushed.

"It's the truth."

Regardless, how long has it been since you wielded a sword. Properly not just for the sake of menacing humans?" Aziraphale questioned.

"I suppose, I haven't actually fought at all. Any training that I would have undergone would have been before the rebellion. So not me at all." Crowley went for another sip from his glass.

"Precisely." Aziraphale confirmed, "I had about 500 years after the rebellion to train before being sent to earth, but it seems to me we are both a bit out of practice."

"So you want to fight." Crowley sighed.

"Just to know that we still can." The angel nodded, "And perhaps to see if we have gotten stronger."

"Well fine, but clean up the dishes first." The demon instructed, he had after decided he was more than happy to retain the title even if it was never really his in the first place. "I'll go find a room that can handle the damage."

"Oh good! And… I was thinking later we could try talking to…"

"You know how I feel about him. I like us just the way we are."

"But he may have answers Crowley."

"He hasn't actually existed for over 6,000 years. What answers could he have? We have his memories now." The demon argued.

"But he does have power we don't. He could show us how to use our strength."

"You know how I feel about him." The demon hissed.

"Yes, but we are him and we need to work with him to figure out how we are strongest."

"Not today Angel. I agreed to fight you. Let's leave it at that for today. How about we take my angel lessons one day at a time?" Crowley got up and tossed his empty glass into the sink.

"That's not what this is." Aziraphale rose to face his friend. How could could Crowley think that.

"Then what is it exactly. You made your point with the sword, I never existed in Heaven so am I really an angel, but I never actually fell so I'm not a demon..."

"I thought we already had this conversation." The angel threw his hands in the air. "You are Crowley, my best friend. You don't need angel lessons because even has a demon you are a way better angel than most of Heaven." Aziraphale stopped to catch the breath he didn't need. "What we both need to figure out is just how much of Raphael we have in us when we are two seperate beings, and how it compares to Raphael. I will do the dishes, you go find a room where we can use swords."

Crowley stood in silence for a minute before doing as his friend instructed.


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry, this is another short chapter, but I figure something is better than nothing. I do have three other Good Omens fics that I'm debating posting, they'll be shorter than this one I think, unless I get carried away which has been known to happen. Please review, I live for your opinions, Of Course I own nothing.**

"This is getting us nowhere!" Crowley groaned dodging and returning the angels strike. They had been at it for hours, going blow for blow, stride for stride, almost predicting the others moves.

"Neither of us seem to be making any headway." Aziraphale sidestepped the demons strike.

"We're fighting ourself." Crowley threw the sword across the room, where it landed neatly in a rack that hadn't been there earlier. "We can't make advances because we're the same person with the same training."

"Oh...Oh...I hadn't thought of that." Aziraphale walked over and placed his sword next to Crowley's. "I suppose we are quite literally fighting ourself."

"So what do we do now?" Crowley leaned against the wall. "And don't say Raphael."

"If you don't want to talk to Raphael, we could always go back to Tadfield and see if Adam or Anathema can help gage any progression."

"Angel…"

"Another option is asking Gabriel for help or God herself." Aziraphale continued. "Of course either of them would probably want to talk to Raphael."

"I hate this. I really hate this." Crowley threw his sunglasses on a nearby table. "Come here Angel let's get this over with."

"Should we write out questions down?" Aziraphale worried, "I know we can talk to each other in one body but can we talk to Raphael? If he's in control can we respond?"

"Only one way to find out." Crowley shrugged. "Frankly I'm more concerned about figuring out how not to merge when we accidentally touch. We can't really have a giant burst of light if our hands brush in public, and I already have to wear glasses, you can wear the gloves."

"But we know now that it's touching that causes it so we just have to be careful."

"Accidents happen Angel, and if it happens in front of humans we're in trouble." The demon pointed out. "We need to control it before we were about how much stronger we could be."

"We could ask Raphael." Aziraphale reasoned, a notepad and pen appearing in his hands. He started scribbling questions immediately. "Strength and powers obviously, touch of course…" He continued while Crowley just shook his head.

"Do you really think he'll be able to answer our questions?" The demon was watching hid friend work on an ever growing list.

"He's an Archangel he has to know something." The angel didn't look up from his work. He hadn't meant to let it slip out but there was a hint of panic just the same. How could Crowley have been so daft, this was his angel, his best friend. Aziraphale liked having answers he liked knowing what to expect, and the comfort of knowing where you stand. He was probably scared he would accidently smite some poor human who happened to touch one of his books with dirty fingernails.

Crowley slowly stepped forward, carefully resting his hands on Aziraphale's shoulders, making painstakingly sure to only touch his shirt sleeves. "Yes he is an Archangel, but he is us." Aziraphale looked up into the demons eyes as soon as he felt the warmth on his shoulders, Crowley continued. "We have his memories, his knowledge, however if you truly feel that he'll be able to help us, then by all means let's do this." Crowley's hands moved from the angels shoulders to his friends hands.


	17. Chapter 17

**Here is the next chapter for you, sorry it is so late, and sorry that it is so short. I hope you enjoy. Let me know, leave you're lovely reviews. Of course I own nothing. **

"Thank you." The angel smiled as the bright light encompassed the room. "Crowley?"

"Don't thank me Angel." Angelic blue eyes rolled, "I've almost gotten used to this insanity at this point."

"I don't believe we get to determine what qualifies as insanity Crowley. We stopped Armageddon with four kids, one being the AntiChrist, one witch, two witchfinders, a part time medium/part time ...well, and a former Hellhound." Aziraphale argued.

"Okay so what do we do now. How did you talk to Madam Tracy?" Crowley mircled a chair and collapsed into it. "I mean which way was easiest?"

"I believe she preferred using a mirror, something about it feeling less like she was talking to herself."

"Okay, mirror it is." Crowley snapped and a full length black framed mirror appeared. "Now what?"

"Well I suppose we ask our first question?" The shared body straightened up. "Um excuse me Raphael how do we touch without merging into one person?" They both felt the chuckle come from deep in their throat.

"This should be interesting." The Archangel grinned at them from the mirror. Crowley touched his face just to be sure. Just as he suspected the reflection didn't move.

"Are you doing this or are we?" Aziraphale asked, he and Crowley were still sharing a body but the reflection in the mirror was acting on its own accord. "Well I suppose er all are aren't we, being the same person and all."

Again the Archangel in the mirror chuckled, "It's an honor to finally meet the two of you."

"The honor is all ours." Aziraphale grinned.

"Speak for yourself Angel." Crowley rolled their eyes.

"I do see how young Newton could get a headache from talking to the two of you like this." Raphael smiled, "You have concerns regarding our predicament?"

"Yeah actually we do." Crowley returned, "How do we go out in public and not worry about what happens if we accidently touch."

"My friend worries that the bright light and loud noise might do to the humans."

"Aziraphale you don't need to clarify for me, we're talking to ourself." Crowley groaned.

"It's the same thing I told Anathema, practice. You need to practice becoming one. Focus on merging like you did when you switched places. Once you've mastered that focus, it won't happen without it."

"So you're saying we have to do this more." Crowley sunk deeper into his chair.

"You don't have to go all the way, you don't actually need me. You only have to go as far as sharing a body, not sharing a mind." Raphael reassured.

"Okay, practice, we can practice right Crowley. So how do we know our own strength?" It was Aziraphale's turn to question. "Will we just feel stronger and know what powers we possess?"

"Raphael chuckled again, "You've always had the power, you just couldn't access it alone. That's why you've always felt better/safer when you're together."

"It's how Crowley always knew when I was in the most trouble?" Aziraphale wondered.

"And how you know when he needed you. He needed you just as often, it's not always about discorporation." Raphael reminded.

"So because we've spent so much time together we can access that power on our own now." It was more of a statement from Aziraphale. Raphael just nodded. "What powers?"

"You're offly quiet Crowley." Raphael stared out from the mirror.

"I learned a long time ago when the Angel has questions, best to let him get them out of his system otherwise he's an anxious mess. And since we're sharing a body his anxiety becomes mine." The body outside the mirror slouched. "As long as we don't get stuck sharing a body for eternity and I still get my best friend, I'll figure we'll survive. We always do."

"So you don't care about healing someone from the brink of death? Or wrath known only by Archangels?" Raphael addressed the more demonic half.

"I'm tired of being a chess piece in the Great Plan. I just want to be left alone with Aziraphale, not forever because that will never happen, but maybe for a century or two. Enough time to appreciate what we worked to save." Crowley admitted.

"Wait we can heal someone about to die?" Aziraphale interrupted.

"That is our purpose." Raphael nodded, "I...we were created as a healer and a guardian."

The three talked for several more hours, Raphael in the mirror and Aziraphale and Crowley sharing a body on the outside. The conversation only ended at the sound of a knock on the door.


	18. Chapter 18

**So sorry this is probably the shortest chapter to date, but I hope you enjoy. Also this is officially becoming an interactive story. Leave a comment and tell me who you'd like to pay our favorite duo a visit, now that they are starting to come to terms with everything. I own nothing. **

With Raphael gone and once again in their own bodies, Crowley moved to open the dear to his flat. Motioning for Aziraphale to stay hidden.

"Hastur what a surprise." Crowley grinned full of sarcasm and disgust. "What happened to leaving me alone for a while?"

"Something is very wrong here." The Duke of Hell moved into the room much to Crowley's dismay.

"I agree, for starters you're here." The angelic demon returned.

"No it feels good. Holy." Hastur frowned, "Just what have you gotten yourself into?"

"I didn't get myself in anything. I believe you were the one responsible for my Holy Water cleanse, must be residual." Crowley attempted.

"No, there's been an angel here…"

"Still one here dear boy." Aziraphale emerged from the shadows hoping that would please Hastur's curiosity.

"Not you, you barely count as an angel to begin with the way you've behaved. This isn't just an angel, this is an Archangel." Hastur moved about the room. "We knew there was influx in power at your flat the last couple months but this… this is ridiculous even for you."

"You've been spying on him after you said you'd leave him alone." Aziraphale frowned.

"Yeah cause the angels stuck to their end of the bargain. Gabriel and his band of Holy righteousness have visited how many times?" Crowley returned.

"But…"

"I'm not defending Hell angel just pointing out yet another similarity between sides that claim to be polar opposite." Crowley cut the angel off before he could get them both in trouble.

"Gabriels been here?" Hastur examined the room.

"Him, Uriel, Micheal, whatever that other little creepy ones called." Crowley shrugged.

"Sandolphon." Aziraphale supplied.

"He is creepy." Hastur agreed, and it took every ounce of self control Crowley had to not laugh at the irony of Hastur calling anyone creepy especially an Archangel.

"So answers your question Heaven is just as nosy as Hell, and we haven't got left alone at all. But congratulations you held out longer than upstairs, one might say you were nicer." Crowley couldn't help but add that last bit with a grin.

"Hell is not nice." Hastur growled, "Something you know first hand."

"I don't know you made me a nice warm bath after a very stressful week. It was exactly what I needed." Crowley smirked.

"That was not our intention." Hastur was frazzled.

"Perhaps now is a good time for you to leave Duke Hastur." Aziraphale guided the demon to the door, careful not to touch the demon or the cloud of grime covering him.


	19. Chapter 19

**First off sorry this chapter is so short, but I wanted to make sure I got something posted. Please let me know what you think, I love reviews. I own nothing. **

The minute he was gone the energy changed in the room causing angel and demon to turn on the spot.

"Are you okay?" Gabriel took a lap of the flat.

"What the He… Hea….Why are you here?" Crowley fell into the nearest chair.

"There was a demon." Gabriel worried.

"Have you been following us!" Aziraphale was furious, betrayed by Heaven yet again.

"I...well what if you got into trouble? You may have needed back up." Gabriel was caught in the act.

"I'm sorry what?" Crowley laughed, "We've survived 6,000 years without your assistance. You know a couple months ago you wanted us dead right."

"I never wanted you dead."

"You didn't think we could handle one demon?" Crowley rolled his eyes, "So much for the unbridled confidence in your big bro."

"Crowley is right, we did stare down Lucifer not long ago." Aziraphale prompted.

"That was hardly a …"

"Not to mention between the two of us we've dealt with two Dukes of Hell, one Lord of Hell, the King of Hell, and four Archangels in a three month time span. I think we could scare off Hastur." Crowley interrupted.

"Have you been watching us like this for the past 6,000 years because…"

"What no." Gabriel cut in. "If I had don't you think I would have known about you two's Arrangement before it stopped Armageddon."

"So what's changed? Other than the obvious." Crowley asked.

"Hell can't know who you really are." Gabriel confessed. "If Lucifer found out that he had even half an Archangel in Hell...well it's best not to think."

"You mean it would start a war?" Aziraphale asked, "Didn't you just punish us for stopping a war?"

"That's different, they planned that war, they would have been on equal footing. If Lucifer just decided to attack, well Heaven would be at a serious disadvantage." Crowley reasoned, "War's are easier when it's got a set start date and everyone knows what to expect."

"Right well, you're both safe so I'll just be leaving then." With that Gabriel was gone.


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry lets try this again. So I don't know what happened with my first attempt to post it, lets hope that it works better this time around. Please review I love to know what you think. I own nothing. Oh and thank you to those who pointed this error out to me. **

"We've got bigger problems than Gabriel now." Crowley moved to find a bottle of wine.

"Hastur's appearance means Adam's protection has come to an end." Aziraphale accepted the glass, and the demon just nodded. "But we haven't figured anything out yet."

"We've had our questions answered, well some of them. We remember how to defend ourselves with a sword. Which is something that will come in handy when Michael and Sandolphon get the courage to visit, a blade is going to be their version of hello." Crowley lounged on his throne.

"We still haven't practiced. You're the one who wanted to know how to control it." Aziraphale sat across from him.

"Don't you think we've done enough for one day?" The demon groaned.

"With Adam's protection gone we don't have a whole lot of time to just sit around and wonder." The angel reminded. "Unless you plan to stay locked up in here for eternity. I certainly couldn't."

"Can I at least get a nap in, all this Holy Angelic stuff is wearing me out."

"You know it doesn't actually affect you right." Aziraphale frowned.

"Tell over 6,000 years of conditioning that." The demon retorted. "It may take a while to get that out of my system."

"Fine if you insist, a short nap. Short as in an hour or two."

"I hear ya Angel, and don't leave the flat. Stronger together and all that." The demon sauntered to his bedroom. He understood that none of this should be physically taxing on him, he wasn't technically a demon, but it still was. It was all in his head and he knew it but it would take a while to readjust to the idea of being an angel, or at least an angelic demon.

Aziraphale sat in the office and finished off his wine glass before putting the rest of the bottle away. He hoped Crowley was okay, they had worked past most of the identity crisis business, but Crowley still had 6,000 unnecessary years of time in hell to come to terms. The angel supposed he had been lucky, while Heaven hadn't been all love and happiness for him it hadn't left him as paranoid as Hell had left his other half.

He'd let his friend sleep if that was what he needed, he miracled himself a book and a chair in Crowley's greenhouse. He had always loved how his demon had a soft spot for plants, even if he tortured them, that was the only way he knew to show them his love.

Crowley woke up two hours later as promised and the duo moved back to the throne room to practice. The goal was to be able to become Raphael only when they wanted to not when they accidently brushed hands handing off ice cream cones in St. James park.

"This is pointless." Crowley hissed as they seperated from yet another failed attempt. "Are you sure you're focusing. You really do want to do this right."

"Of course, Of course I understand the dangers of us merging as it were in public." Aziraphale tried to reassure.

"Do you really, or are you hoping that this doesn't work and have this to hold over me for the rest of eternity, like you did back in Tadfield. If I don't want to do something your way, are you just going to grab my hand and force me to." Crowley ranted.

"What? No, I would never, why would you even think that." Aziraphale stuttered.

"Well you did it once already." Crowley returned.

"My dear boy please know you can trust me. Yes I did it in Tadfield but I needed to get your attention, I needed to stop you from leaving." Aziraphale breathed, "If you left I didn't know if I would ever see you again. I was worried that everything had scared you, and your solution would be to avoid it and by default me. I couldn't lose my best friend. I wasn't trying to control you or make you do something, I just panicked."

"You panicked?" Crowley frowned, "Because you didn't want to lose me." The angel just nodded as a response. "Then shall we try again."

They tried for several more hours until they held hands and absolutely nothing happened. No loud noise, no bright light, just an angel, and an angelic demon.

They let go of each other, and tried again. Nothing. It worked.

"So Raphael was right." Crowley chuckled, "Practice." Aziraphale reached out his hand one more time and Crowley rolled his eyes. There was a loud vrumph and a bright white late. "Admit it, you were worried I wouldn't let you do that again weren't you."

"Yes a little. I must admit." The one body separated into two.

"Well, now we only do it on purpose right, when we both want it." The demon moved for the wine glasses.

"That does sound like a good plan." The angel agreed, "Who do you suppose we should expect first?"

"My money's on Micheal to come down flaming sword blazing." Crowley shrugged.

"I don't know, Micheal seemed quite spooked back in Tadfield. I suspect Uriel will be the next to make an appearance."

"If I'm being honest that's the one I'm most worried about." The demon frowned.

"Worried about Uriel?" Aziraphale didn't understand, "Uriel and Raphael, well us I suppose, were amongst the closest before."

"Uriel was almost our prodigy." Crowley agreed, "Imagine 6,000 years of knowing you had a hand in the demise of the being that taught you everything you know."

"Yes I suppose that is something to consider." Aziraphale sipped his wine, "Only time will tell my dear."


	21. Chapter 21

**So sorry for such a long delay, I promise I'm still here. Just a crazy couple of weeks, IEP's parent teacher conferences, and two family members in the hospital, but none of that matters now because I have this chapter for you. I'm thinking I'm going to end this story pretty soon I know it's starting to drag, but I hope you enjoy it. As always I love reviews let me know what you think. I own nothing. **

And time did tell, Crowley and Aziraphale had two lovely weeks of peace. However all peace comes to an end at some point at for them it came on a rainy Thursday afternoon. Aziraphale was in front tending to his bookshop while Crowley napped on the couch in the back room. Or he was napping until a bright light shown on the room and he woke to a sword on his throat.

"Give me back my brother." The Archangel growled.

"Always a pleasure." the not demon yawned, doing his best to ignore how dangerously close the blade was. "I thought angels were supposed to be more polite? What happened to 'give me back my brother please?'" He pushed the blade away from him and sat up.

"Don't test me demon." She spat back, moving the blade to face his chest.

"Oh didn't you hear the good news?" Crowley eyed his sister and then the blade. "Not a demon, who knew." He shrugged, "Oh wait… you knew, you knew who I was this whole time and didn't think to come pop in and say, 'hey big bro, you know you really don't have to do all that bad stuff, you never really fell.' But you never did that, did you?" He once again pushed the blade aside to get to his feet and walked toward the alcohol cabinet, keeping his back to the Archangel. "So tell me why I should do anything for you...Uriel?"

She moved with an unnatural quickness in an attempt to put the blade around his neck from behind. But Crowley was still half the Archangel that had trained her and saw it coming. Spinning on the spot with a flaming sword in hand. "Oh yeah and I get a sword now, cool right. Demon with a flaming sword." She thrust her blade at him and he deflected, again and again she tried to strike and again and again he deflected. "I have to say I was expecting better of you, you've gotten a little rusty in the past 6,000 years. I mean I haven't picked up a blade until a couple weeks ago. You can do better Uri." She continued her strikes faster and faster, and he continued to block.

"Why don't you strike back?" She shouted.

"I have absolutely no desire to hurt you Uriel." Crowley sighed, side stepping an attack, "The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you."

"You're a demon, you cause pain." She continued.

"Is everything…." Aziraphale had heard the commotion. "Oh… ah...Uriel." He didn't have a chance to say much more before he was pushed into his other half who had just enough time to catch him.

"Where is Raphael? Gabriel said if you touched then… then I would see…" She caught herself before she let herself get to vulnerable. Going back to holding the sword at the pair.

"Would you like a go Angel? She really needs the practice." Crowley offered his sword to Aziraphale.

"Why would I want a go? Why are you even having 'a go'?" The angel turned his back on his little sister and the blade.

"She needs to get it out of her system." the angelic demon shrugged, "It's not like I was actually going to hurt her."

"And what if she hurt you?" Aziraphale countered, "We haven't really discussed what might happen if one of us dies. Do we both die? I know if one of us gets discorporated it doesn't happen to both, but permanent death is quite different and we are two halves of one soul. So I do wish you would be more careful around holy blades."

"You're the one turning your back on it." Crowley reminded.

"Aww yes, lets see here." The angel faced his litter sister. "Uriel would you please put that blade away there is absolutely no need for it."

"Give me my brother." She repeated her first request.

"Well if that's all you want then you've got it my dear girl." Aziraphale smiled, "Or have you not had a discussion with Gabriel recently. You see we've… that is Crowley and I have talked long and hard about this, and have agreed that we are both very much Raphael."

"That is not my brother." She pointed her blade at the demon and then moved it back to the angel, "And neither are you."

"Uriel." Crowley took a deep breath. "Where did I take you after your first sparring lesson with Michael?"

"You didn't take me anywhere." She spat.

"And do you remember why I took you there?" Aziraphale picked up where Crowley had left it.

"Neither of you even existed yet." She argued, but the blade lowered ever so slightly.

"Michael had just beat you rather badly." Aziraphale sighed.

"You were scared and need healing." Crowley added. "You were worried you didn't have what it took to be an Archangel, a protector and leader of others."

"I took you out to my stars." Aziraphale smiled, "We talked and shared my own fears with you."

"I healed you up, and then showed you the proper way to hold a blade." Crowley continued.

"You told me that Michael was stronger than me, so I had to be faster." Uriel finished letting the sword fall to the floor, and a demon wipe away her tears.

"Then we spared in the stars for who knows how long." Aziraphale nodded. "Come sit down dear, I think we need to talk."


	22. Chapter 22

**Here is the next chapter for you, I'm thinking two more after this. Please review, I love to read them. I own nothing. **

The three sat in silence for what felt like hours but was probably a few minutes, not that it mattered to immortals.

"Gabriel warned me… but I didn't want to believe him… I never expected… you to be like this...in front of me." Uriel tried to find the words to express what she was feeling. "He warned me that you wouldn't… you know… and that you remembered everything… I didn't want to believe him."

"Uriel." Aziraphale started.

"No, let me…" Uriel took a deep unneeded breath. The angel and demon nodded so Uriel continued. "Why? Why couldn't you just… Why did you have to leave me?" Uriel whispered, "You were my brother, you taught me everything… and then you were gone… but you weren't gone, you just weren't you anymore. Everything changed after that, Gabriel changed, then Michael changed, and then…"

"Uriel." Aziraphale started again. "It was never our intent to hurt anyone, especially not you my dear."

"I know, it was never your fault, but we all blamed you anyway. Why couldn't you just fight Lucifer, why couldn't you just fight… but that was never your job, you weren't a fighter. It frustrated us because you were the best fighter amongst us but you never could raise a blade in anger, you were made to heal not kill. We blamed you, but it was our fault, we did this to you."

"Yea well worked out in the end." Crowley shrugged, "For us anyway, and we'll will fix things between us."

"This is not your fault, nor is it Gabriel or Micheals. The events that happened, everything that took place it all falls on Lucifer's shoulders." Aziraphale assured.

"Not that he's all that upset about it." Crowley sighed.

"Did you get to talk to him? You know in Hell?" Uriel turned to the not demon.

"Nah, I wasn't high enough to speak to him directly. Which I'm personally thanking someone for." Crowley returned.

"Why? I thought you were close to him before…"  
"The Fall changed him, it changed everyone, it took the best of them and left them a shell of who they used to be. But Lucifer he started to change long before the Fall took place." Crowley reminisced.

"But what about you? You didn't change all that much?" Aziraphale frowned. "Not really."

"Angel, I lost half of who I was." Crowley chuckled.

"Yes, but you have always been nice." Aziraphale smiled, waiting for his friend to argue, but it never came. Aziraphale raised an eyebrow.

"Can't really argue with ya now can I." Crowley returned, Uriel sat and watched.

"Can you show me?" She finally spoke up.

"Excuse me?" The duo frowned.

"Can I see him?" She whispered, "Gabriel said that there is a difference between you being him and you looking like him. I just want to see him one more time."

"Somehow dear sister I don't think that if we were to oblige your request it would be the last time." Aziraphale offered, "We have agreed that while we do prefer the way that we are now, we are not against the idea of merging when the situation requires it."

"I just want to see him, you can still be you guys." Uriel offered.

"I've been told it seems a bit multiple personality disorder when that happens." Crowley laughed, "You really want that."

"Multiple personality disorder?" Uriel hadn't been on earth for longer than an hour at a time in centuries.

"Many voices and identities in one body." Aziraphale supplied.

"I can handle it." Uriel nodded.

"If you're sure." Crowley sighed, extending his hand to his best friend.

"You don't actually have to talk or anything if you don't like being in that body. I just miss him." Uriel was doing a very good job at holding back tears.

"If that's what you want." Aziraphale accepted the undemons hand and they let it happen. The single being didn't have time to do anything other than catch the younger Archangel in a hug, tears finally breaking free.

"I'm sorry." Uriel pulled herself away after about ten minutes. "You can… you know...I just needed to see him."

With that the one being became two again. "Are you sure that's all you need?" Aziraphale worried.

"Yes, that's… I just needed to know that he wasn't gone."

"Not going anywhere." Crowley reassured.

"I should get going. I didn't tell anyone I was coming here." Uriel stood.

"Visit anytime." Aziraphale hugged her.

"Maybe leave the sword at home though." Crowley shook her hand.

"I can do that." She pulled him into a hug.


	23. Chapter 23

**Here you go and now they have met with all of the siblings from before the Fall. One more chapter after this so it's getting ready to come to a close. Let me know what you think I love you're reviews. I own nothing. **

They had been enjoying lunch at a new cafe that had opened around the corner from the bookshop. That was about to be interrupted by two upset Archangels.

"I was wondering when you would show up." Crowley looked up from his coffee. "What you couldn't come on your own had to bring your enforcer."

"Micheal, Sandalphon." Aziraphale nodded. "Would you care for some lunch? We could get some more seats if you'd like to join us."

"Not likely." Sandalphon spat.

"Well that's not how you speak to your elders." Crowley returned. "Is there a reason you're here?"

"To see you." Michael kept it short.

"Picked up on that." Crowley rolled his eyes. "Figured it would take you longer, after the disappearing act you pulled in Tadfield. But why Mr. smite now ask questions later? Don't think you could face us by yourself?"

"Look here you…"

"NO Sandalphon you look here. I don't know you, and frankly what I've heard about you does not impress me." Crowley interrupted, the others at the table were just now noticing that time had stopped around them.

"I believe what Crowley is trying to say is, if Micheal wants to talk with us we're more than happy to sit with her. If she feels that she can't handle it on her own then by all means Sandalphon stay." Aziraphale offered. "But perhaps she is capable of talking to us as we are without feeling intimidated."

"Why would I be intimidated by you?" Micheal couldn't help herself.

"I could use a napkin, or a hand towel." Crowley smirked, "You couldn't miracle one up for me could you?" Micheal took a step back, causing Sandalphon to step in front of her.

"You bastard!"

"I do try." Crowley offered a smile. "But I'm not bathing anyone in Holy Water, or turning people to salt. So perhaps the two of you would have made the better demon than I ever could be."

"How dare you." Sandalphon growled.

"Sandalphon perhaps you should go, this is something I need to do on my own." Micheal sighed.

"Are you sure?"

"I can handle them." Micheal assured, with that Sandalphon was gone. Time had restarted and Micheal was sitting at the table.

"Soooo." Crowley eyed the archangel.

"I know you're expecting me to come down here crying and apologizing for everything, but I'm not going to do that." Micheal sat up straight but avoided the two entities in front of her.

"Wouldn't expect you to dear." Aziraphale assured.

"Not your style at all." Crowley agreed. "So why are you here?"

"I do feel guilty for what happened with the Holy Water, but I'm not apologizing." Micheal added the last part on just to be sure.

"Of course your not." Crowley nodded.

"I do feel guilty about what happened after the War, but again I'm not apologizing." Micheal sighed, "I don't regret what happened back then, or the fact that splitting you was my idea." The angel and not demon waited for Micheal to continue. "They wanted to kill you, if I hadn't come up with it you would be dead." Again Aziraphale and Crowley waited. "I can't feel sorry for the fact that you're still alive even if it is like this."

"Even if you tried to destroy half of us a couple months ago?" Crowley sipped from his coffee cup.

"But it didn't destroy you, I knew it wouldn't. I mean it couldn't, you never fell. I knew that it might hurt you but it wouldn't destroy you like it would real demons." Micheal argued. "I'm not sorry."

"We didn't expect anything less of you Micheal." Aziraphale nodded.

"And it all worked out in the end right." Micheal tried, "I mean you're happy now like this, you have more freedom than the rest of us. You've done more good than any of us could imagine."

"Are you trying to convince us or yourself?" Crowley chuckled. "We don't need convincing."

"We get to choose if we want to be us or if we want to be Raphael, and we chose what we thought was best."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"Micheal." Crowley sighed.

"We know why you did what you thought you had to do, and yes it did save our life." Aziraphale explained.

"So no, we're not mad at you." Crowley finished.

Micheal stayed with them while they finished their lunch and discussed the past along with what the future might hold for them.


	24. Chapter 24

**Here is the final chapter thank you for waiting for the ending sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoy it. Of course I own nothing. **

They both knew it would happen, but both hoped it would happen later rather than sooner. They were wrong, and now Crowley and Aziraphale stood in front of the Almighty herself in a line with the four remaining archangels.

"Sooo." Crowley looked up and down the row, from Aziraphale on his left to Uriel on his right, then Gabriel, Micheal, and Sandalphon. "Are we starting a new choir? Cause my singing voice is a little out of practice and may have forgotten some of the hymns."

Sandalphon growled, Micheal rolled her eyes and Gabriel and Uriel stopped themselves from laughing.

"Crowley dear I don't think now is the time." Aziraphale chided. Meanwhile God remained silent.

"I'm just warning them, I mean I guess six of us could be a basketball team, you know we'll need that sub you know Sandy down there can't play a full half." Crowley continued, again another growl from the bald archangel.

"Are you done?" God smirked.

"I suppose." The not demon shrugged.

"Then we have much to discuss." The Almighty informed. "Obviously we've had an eventful couple of years."

"A bit more for some of us than others, but who's really keeping score." Crowley threw out.

"Crowley." Aziraphale warned.

"No, he's absolutely correct, the two of you have been through a lot." God assured, "However, this meeting is to primarily discuss job assignments from here on out."

"Job assignments." Aziraphale fidgeted with his waistcoat. "I was under the impression that we were to be left alone."

"I would like to make this proposition and if you are not interested, then I will honor the agreement Crowley, Gabriel, and yourself came up with." The Almighty returned, "Though it will be noted that I never said that you would be left alone that is an agreement that you six came up with on your own."

"Of course Mother." Aziraphale frowned.

"Hold on, I haven't been on Heaven's pay roll for 6,000 years." Crowley reminded, "And I have no intention of stopping my, how would you say it, 'sinful behavior'"

"I'm not expecting you to at all my son." God chuckled. "Though whether you realized it or not at the time you never did stop healing."

"Yea well consider it pro bono." Crowley shrugged.

"What will their new jobs be Mother?" Uriel spoke up.

"They won't be new jobs at all, they will be given the original jobs they were created for." God smiled, "As I recall a couple of you complained quite vocally about the number of jobs Raphael had as opposed to yourself."

"Yes well he had four units he was in charge of and we each only had one." Gabriel hoped to defend himself, "We were just concerned about his ability to complete all of those."

"And I appreciate your concern, now how about I split those four jobs up between two beings? Does that sound more manageable?" The Almighty returned.

"Of course Lord, it is entirely your decision always has been it was wrong of us to assume we may have known better." Gabriel backtracked.

"So can we give Aziraphale the job with the sword. I'm not a fan of pointy, stabby objects." Crowley offered up the flaming sword to the Almighty, "It's never really been my scene."

"Aziraphale will be the Protector and the Teacher, and yes the sword will be his." God assured, "I couldn't give it to him initially, I had to make sure he wasn't going to give it away again." God chuckled and the angel blushed, accepting the sword from his Lord.

"Of course not Mother, I won't, I most definitely will not give the sword away again. I promise." Aziraphale tried to reassure.

"I know my child." God laughed, "And Crowley will be the Archangel of healing and creating. How's that sound?"

"I think I can handle that." Crowley smirked, accepting the staff that now had a snake wrapped around it, other than that completely the same as it had been 6,00 years ago.

"But that staff can be just as dangerous in a battle as a sword, as you well know." God warned.

"Well then I think I'll just avoid battles then and hang out in the medic tents and hospitals." The not demon admired his staff.

"Does this mean that they have to stay in Heaven now?" Micheal frowned.

"They would be miserable." Uriel agreed.

"No, there are very few up here to protect and to heal." God assured.

"I don't know I know a couple angels whose attitudes could use a little TLC." Crowley shot a glance down at Sandalphon who growled once again, Micheal rolled her eyes, Gabriel coughed into his hand to stifle a laugh, and Uriel could do nothing but choke down her own laughter.

"Regardless, you will both be free to return to the lives you have made on earth." The Almighty chuckled as well. "Though you will be expected to return once a decade for the meeting of Archangels."

"Do we have to?" Crowley pouted.

"We would be honored to attend." Aziraphale quickly shut down his best friend.

"Does this mean Raphael is gone?" Uriel breathed.

Does it?" The Lord turned to the duo.

"Not at all little sister." Crowley smirked.

"He'll always be there if he's needed." Aziraphale agreed.


End file.
